Are you looking to fund community projects in your area? Check here periodically for an updated list of national funding opportunities that you can use to enhance your rural community.

Children, Youth, and Families At Risk – Sustainable Community Projects
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), USDA announces the Children, Youth, and Families at Risk funding program to improve the quality and quantity of comprehensive community-based programs for at-risk children, youth, and families supported by the Cooperative Extension System. Application Deadline: April 11, 2014

Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Discretionary Grants
FY 2013 TIGER Discretionary Grants are for capital investments in surface transportation infrastructure and are to be awarded on a competitive basis for projects that will have a significant impact on the Nation, a metropolitan area, or a region. Larger projects of national or regional significance which DOT determines demonstrate achievement of several of the strategic goals, as well as the project readiness criterion, could be considered for grants larger than those typically awarded in recent rounds of TIGER. Application Deadline: April 28, 2014

Hart Family Fund for Small Towns
Grants from the Hart Family Fund for Small Towns are intended to encourage preservation at the local level by providing seed money for preservation projects in small towns. Grants generally range from $2,500 to $10,000. Application Deadline: May 1, 2014

National Association of Realtors Smart Growth Grants
NAR’s Smart Growth Action Grants support a wide range of land-use related activities. To be considered, activities should support the core purpose of NAR’s Smart Growth Progam: to support realtor engagement in land-use related issues with the primary goals of affecting public policies that support a more sustainable development paradigm while raising the profile of realtors as community leaders and enhancing relationships with elected officials. Application Deadlines: April 30, July 31, and October 15, 2014

Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design (CIRD)
CIRD provides communities access to the resources they need to convert their own good ideas into reality.  CIRD works with communities with populations of 50,000 or less, and offers annual competitive funding to as many as four small towns or rural communities to host a two-and-a-half day community design workshop.  With support from a wide range of design, planning and creative placemaking professionals, the workshops bring together local leaders from non-profits, community organizations, and government to develop actionable solutions to the community’s pressing design challenges. Application Deadline: May 6, 2014

NEA Challenge America Fast-Track
The Challenge America Fast-Track category offers support primarily to small and mid-sized organizations for projects that extend the reach of the arts to under-served populations — those whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economics, or disability. Grants are available for professional arts programming and for projects that emphasize the potential of the arts in community development. Application Deadline: May 8, 2014

2015 National Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program
The National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council seeks innovative (new, cutting-edge or builds upon existing studies) grant proposals for program development that address the following priority issues: Making Urban Trees and Forests More Resilient ot the Impacts of Natural Disasters and the long-term Impacts of Climate Change, Green Infrastructure Jobs Analysis, Utilizing Green Infrastructure to Manage and Mitigate Stormwater to Improve Water Quality. Application Deadline: May 15, 2014

NEA Art Works
To support the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, public engagement with diverse and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts, and the strengthening of communities through the arts. Matching grants generally range from $10,000 to $100,000. Application Deadline: July 24, 2014

National Park Service Rivers, Trails & Conservation Assistance Program
Do you have an idea for a local conservation and outdoor recreation project, but need assistance to move that vision into reality? You do not have to be located near a National Park to receive assistance. Application Deadline: August 1, 2014

People For Bikes Community Grant Program
The People for Bikes Community Grant Program provides funding for important and influential projects that leverage federal funding and build momentum for bicycling in communities across the U.S. These projects include bike paths and rail trails, as well as mountain bike trails, bike parks, BMX facilities, and large-scale bicycle advocacy initiatives. Application Deadline: August 1, 2014

Land and Water Conservation Fund State and Local Assistance Program
The National Park Service provides matching grants to states and through states to local government for the acquisition and development of land and water for outdoor recreation purposes. Application Deadline: August 22, 2014

State Historic Preservation Opportunity Historic Preservation Fund Grants
To provide matching grants to States for the identification, evaluation, and protection of historic properties by such means as survey, planning technical assistance, acquisition, development, and certain Federal tax incentives available for historic properties.  Application Deadline: December 31, 2014

HUD Choice Neighborhood Implementation Grants
Applications must propose to plan for the revitalization of a severely distressed public and/or HUD-assisted multifamily housing project located in a distressed neighborhood into a viable, mixed-income community. Individual grants may be for up to a maximum of $500,000. Applications Deadline: CHECK BACK FOR 2015 DEADLINE

NEA Our Town
Organizations may apply for creative placemaking projects that contribute to the livability of communities and place the arts at their core. An organization may request a grant amount from $25,000 to $200,000. Application Deadline: CHECK BACK FOR 2015 DEADLINE

American Hiking Society’s National Trails Fund
American Hiking Society’s National Trails Fund is the only privately funded, national grants program dedicated solely to building and protecting hiking trails. Grants value between $500 to $5,000 to improve hiking access or hiker safety. Application Deadline: CHECK BACK FOR 2015 DEADLINE